Boat propelling and steering means



Nov. 28, 1961 w. PERKINS BOAT PROPELLING AND STEERING MEANS Filed June 30. 1960 IN VEN TOgQ. /f0//0ca ark/ms United States Patent O 3,010,421 BOAT PROPELLING AND STEERING MEANS Wallace Perkins, Box 824, Woodville, Tex. Filed June 30, 1960, Ser. No. 39,907 4 Claims. (Cl. 115-24) This invention relates to a boat, and more particularly to a means for propelling and steering a boat.

The object of the invention is to provide a mechanism which is adapted to be mounted on the stern or transom of a boat such as a rowboat whereby the boat can be readily and conveniently propelled and steered through a body of water without the necessity of using oars or paddles, or without the necessity of mounting an outboard motor or engine on the boat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a boat propelling and steering mechanism which may either be operated by turning or rotating the handles or else the mechanism can be actuated by foot pedals so that a propelled will be turned in the water in order to cause the boat to move to the body of water conveniently and with facility.

A further object of the invention is to provide a boat propelling and steering means which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which like numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the hand operated boat propelling and steering mechanism mounted on the stern or transom of the boat.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the mechanism of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary elevational view shown with parts broken away and in section, showing a modification which is operated by a foot pedal rather than by the handles.

FIGURE 7 is the fragmentary sectional view illustrating certain constructional details of the modification of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7.

Referring in detail to the drawings, and more particularly to FIGURES 1 through 5 of the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates a portion of a boat such as a rowboat which is provided with the usual transom or stern 11, and according to the present invention there is provided a mechanism 12 for use in propelling and steering the boat 10 so that it is not necessary to use oars or the like and wherein the mechanism of the present invention will take the place of an outboard motor or other power mechanism. As shown in the drawings the mechanism 12 comprises a pair of spaced apart brackets 13 which each include a forwardly disposed portion 14, and set screws or screw members 15 extend through the portion 14 and engage the transom 11, FIGURE 2. The brackets 13 further include rearwardly disposed portions 16, and upper connecting portions 17.

The numeral 18 indicates a horizontally disposed base, and the base 18 is provided with a plurality of openings or cut outs 19 which serve to help reduce the weight thereof. Ears 20 depend from the base 18, and the cars 20 are connected to the upper portions 17 of the brackets 13 as for example by means of securing elements 21. The numeral 22 indicates a seat which is arranged above the base 18 and the seat 22 is fastened to the base 18 as at 23.

-As shown in FIGURE 3 for example, the base 18 is provided with a downwardly disposed off-set portion 24 adjacent the front end, and the numeral 25 indicates a body member that has a rearwardly disposed portion 26 that has a rounded section 27 that is disposed immediately beneath the offset portion 24, and a pivot pin or bolt 28 serves to pivotally connect the rounded sec tion 27 to the off-set portion 24.

The body member 25 further includes a pair of upwardly directed forwardly arranged spaced apart arms 29, and the numeral 30 indicates a gear box which is mounted between the upper ends of the arms 29, FIG- URE 2. Manually operable handles 31 are connected to the gear box 30, for a purpose to be later described. The body member 25 also includes a rearwardly disposed upwardly oif-set section 32 which is provided with an elongated slot 33 therein. The numeral 34 indicates a bar which has a slot 35 in its front end, and pin or bolt 36 extends through the registering slot 33 and 35, and the pivot pin 36 also extends through a curved groove or slot 37 in the base 18.

The numeral 38 inti'cates a vertically disposed rod or upright which is connected to the rear end of the base 18, and a tubular member 39 is arranged on the rod 38. The numeral 40 indicates a support member which is mounted on the line of the rod 38, and a propeller 41 is disposed rearwardly of the support member 40. The numeral 42 indicates a flexible shaft which provides an operative connection between the gear box 30 and the propeller 41, and the flexible shaft or cable 42 includes an outer casing 43 and an inner rotary member 44, FIGURE 5. As shown in the drawings the support member 40 is provided with a bearing portion 46, and the rod 38 includes a reduced diameter section 47 which is contiguous to the bearing portion 46, the numeral 48 indicating the propeller shaft which extends through the bearing portion 46, and wherein the propeller shaft 48 is connected to the inner elements or cable 44 as at 49, FIGURE 5.

As shown in the drawings, there is provided a pair of spaced apart frame members 50 which have their lower ends connected to a lug 51 that is arranged in engagement with the lower end of the rod 38, and the upper ends of the frame members 50 are fastened as at 52 to the side of the base 18.

There is further provided a pair of braces 53 which have their upper ends connected as at 54 to the rear portion of the base 18, and the lower ends of the braces 53 are connected as at 55 to the rear portion 16 of the brackets 13. A plurality of spaced apart apertures 56 in the braces 53 provide a means of adjustment since the pins or securing elements 55 can be arranged in different of these apertures 56 in order to position the parts such as the braces 53 at the desired location.

Referring now to FIGURES 6, 7, and 8 of the drawings, there is illustrated a modification which is operated by foot pressure-instead of by the hands, and except as illustrated the construction and operation of the mechanism shown in FIGURES 6, 7, and 8 is the same as that shown in FIGURES 1 through 5. Thus, in FIGURES 6, 7, and 8 a body member 25' has a rounded section 27' pivotally connected to the ofi-set portion 24 of the base by means of a pin or securing element 28. The body member 25' is provided with a forwardly arranged section 57 that has an apertured ear 58 on its front end, and the numeral 59 indicates each of a pair of spaced apart legs or arms which have apertured rear end portions that are arranged on opposite sides of the car 58. A gear box 60 is mounted contiguous to the front ends of the legs 59, and the gear box 60 is adapted to be operated by foot pedals 61, and it is to be noted that the legs 59 extend downwardly while the previously described arms 29 extend upwardly. The numeral 62 indicates the flexible shaft which serves to connect the gear box 60 to a propeller such as the propeller 41, FIG- URE 6. As shown in the drawings, the upper rear portions of the legs 59, and the front portion of the body member 25 are provided with aligned grooves or recesses 63 and 64, and the numeral 65 indicates a wedge shaped tongue which engages the grooves 63 and 64, there being a securing element 66 extending through the wedge 65 and into engagement with the ear 58 for maintaining the parts in their proper assembled relation.

In FIGURES 6, 7, and 8 the numeral 67 indicates a pin or securing element which connects the rear ends of the members 69 to the portions 68.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that there has been provided a propelling and steering mechanism which is especially suitable for use with a boat such as the boat 10 and with the parts arranged as shown in FIGURES 1 through for example, it will be seen that the mechanism 12 of the present invention is adapted to be connected to the transom such as the transom 11 by means of the brackets 13, and the screw members 15 serve to retain the device connected to the boat. The operator of the device sits on the seat 22 and when the boat is to be propelled, the pair of handles 31 are gripped in the hands and then by properly turning these handlm 31, the gear box 30 will be actuated which in turn will actuate the inner member 44 of the flexible cable 42 and since this member 44 is connected to the shaft 48 of the propeller 41, it will be seen that this manual rotation of the handles 31 will cause the rotation of the propeller 41 so that the boat will be moved through the water in the desired fashion. Thus, the present invention eliminates the necessity of using oars and also does away with the necessity of utilizing an outboard motor or engine.

To steer the boat, it is only necessary to grip the handles 31 and move the body member 25 in the desired direction, as for example to the right or left, and since the body member 25 is pivotally connected as at 28 to the base 18, it will be seen that the body member 25 will pivot on an axis extending through the pin or bolt 23. In view of the fact that the pin 36 which extended through the slot 37 serves to pivotally connect together the rear end of the body member 25 and the front end of the bar 34, it will be seen that as the body member 25 is manually moved or turned, the body member and bar will be moved as for example on the solid line position shown in FIGURE 3 to the broken line position in FIG- URE 3, and in View of the fact that the rear end of the bar 34 is connected to the rod or shaft 38, it will be seen that this will cause the propeller 41 to be shifted to the desired position or angle so that the boat can be guided or steered in the desired direction. The frame member 50 aswell as the braces 53 help maintain the parts in their proper position, and due to the provision of plurality of apertures such as the apertures 56 the parts such as the braces 53 can be adjusted to the desired position and this construction thus permits the mechanism to be mounted on boats or different shapes or sizes as well as on boats having transoms arranged at different angles or elevations. When the device is not being used or when it is not needed the screw members 15 can be loosened so that the entire mechanism can be readily disconnected from the boat, and the parts can be folded to a position so that the parts will occupy a minimum amount of space for storage or shipment when the device is not being used.

. In the modification of FIGURES 6, 7, and 8 the construction and operation is generally the same as that shown in FIGURES 1 through 5 except that in FIGURES 6, 7, and 8 the mechanism is propelled by foot power rather than by hand power. Thus, in FIGURES 6, 7, and 8 it is to be noted that the body member 25' has a construction which is somewhat the same as the previously described body member 25, but the body member 25' is provided with the portion 58 on its front end which is connected to the rear end of the legs 59, as for example by means of the pins 67, and the wedge 65 and securing element 66 engage the previously described grooves such as the grooves 63 and 64 in order to maintain these legs in their proper downwardly inclined position. The gear box 60 is mounted adjacent the lower front ends of the legs 59, and foot pedals 61 are connected to the gear box 60, so that the operator of the'device can sit on the seat 22 and place his or her feet on the pedals 51 and then by rotating the pedals 51 by foot pressure, the flexible shaft or cable 62 will be turned or actuated and this shaft 62 is adapted to be connected to a propeller such as the propeller 41 in the same manner as the previously described shaft 42 that is connected to the propeller. The legs 59 can be turned from side to side in order to steer the boat in the same manner as previously described.

The openings such as the openings 19 in the base 18 help to reduce the weight of the base.

The parts can be made of any suitable material and in different shapes or sizes. Thus, it will be seen that there has been provided a mechanism for use on boats such as rowboats' which can be hand powered or foot powered, and the hand and foot models are generally the same except that for the hand version there is provided the upright arms 29, while for the foot version there is the inverted or depending arms or legs 59. The right angle drive may be manipulated in either a forward or reverse direction by the members such as the hand cranks 31. The arms or braces 29 support the gear box 30 in the proper'position for the operator, and the flexible cable or shaft 42 serves to connect the gear box 30 to the propeller 41 and this shaft 42 is shaped or curved so that a portion thereof extends under the seats 22 and over the transom 11 as shown in the drawings. By swinging the cranks 31 and gear box 30 to the right or left, the propeller 41, the propeller shaft and the tubular member or housing 39 are also oscillated in the desired'direction so as to provide an efiicient steering means and wherein no rudder is necessary. The flexible shaft and housing 39 makes possible the free movement of the steering mechanism. Outboard motors use this method of steering except that the entire unit t-hat is the motor, frame, and all other parts oscillate whereas in the hand'operated model of the present invention, the supporting frame or base 18 and the seat 22 remain in a fixed position. The bearing 46 may be made of a suitable material such as nylon and this may be suitably secured to the lower end of the housing 39 so that the lower end of the propeller shaft and its associated parts will be supported under water. The propeller 41 is of a special design (because of slow rpm.) and the propeller has approximately 40% more blade area than conventional propellers of equal size. The base 18 constitutes the main supporting frame, and the brackets 13 provide a means whereby the entire mechanism can be clamped onto the boat. The struts or frame members 50 are connected to the base 18 and serve to support the propeller shaft and housing as shown in the drawings. The braces 53 canv be adjusted for aligning the propeller shaft 38 in perpendicular position on boats which have an angle transom or, where load conditions require such an adjustment. The numerals 21 indicate pivot points on the supporting brackets 13 for permitting alignment of the parts, and the construction is such that regardless of the trim of the boat or the angle of the transom, in making the adjustment, the user levels the seat and in so doing the propeller shaft and base and associated parts are moved in their correct position. The shaft 38 is arranged insideof the tubular housing 39 and the shaft 38 serves to connect the propeller 41 to to the steering mechanism which includes the members 25 and 34.

The mechanism may either be hand or foot propelled as previously stated. The foot power model may us a fourteen inch extension shaft attached to the gear box and which leads to the housing and cable, which is shorter for the hand models, and this shaft assembly may include a female spline to make possible different adjustments of the gear box and pedals with relation to the seat distance. The tapered wedge 55 is locked in the tapered slots 63 and 64 by the thumb screw 66. By removing the tapered wedge 65, the arms and pedal assembly can be folded down next to the propeller for convenient storage. The gear box and pedal assembly can be readily adjusted to allow for dilferent leg lengths.

Minor changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

What is claimed is:

1. In a boat propelling and steering mechanism, a horizontally disposed base, a seat secured to said base, a body member pivotally connected to the front of said base, a bar having its front end pivotally connected to the rear end of said body member and said bar also having its front end sliding on an intermediate portion of said base, a vertically disposed rod connected to the rear of the base, said bar being connected to said rod, frame members connected to said rod and base, a support member connected to the lower end of the rod, a propeller arranged rearwardly of said support member, a flexible shaft operatively connected to said propeller, means for operating said shaft, brackets mounted below said base, and braces extending between said brackets and base.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for operating the shaft is manually actuated.

3. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for operating the shaft is foot actuated.

4. In a boat propelling and steering mechanism, a pair of brackets each including a forwardly disposed portion, a rearwardly disposed portion and an upper connecting portion, screw members extending through said forwardly disposed portions, a horizontally disposed base having depending ears connected to the upper portions of said brackets, a seat supported on said base and secured thereto, a downwardly disposed off-set portion on the front of said base, a body member including a rounded section pivotally connected to said off-set portion, spaced apart arms arranged forwardly of said rounded section, a gear box mounted between the front ends of said arms, rotary members connected to said gear box, said body member further including a rearwardly disposed slotted section, a bar having a slotted front end portion pivotally connected to the slotted section of said body member through the medium of a pivot pin, there being an arcuate groove in said base for the projection therethrough of said pivot pin, a vertically disposed rod extending through the rear end of said base and through the rear end of said bar, a tubular member on said rod, a support member connected to the lower end of said rod, a propeller arranged rearwardly of said support member, a flexible shaft connecting said gear box to said propeller, a pair of spaced apart frame members having their lower ends connected to said rod and their upper ends connected to said base, and a pair of spaced apart braces extending between said base and the lower rear portions of said brackets.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

